Oil Archive (no new posts) An archive of oil related questions and comments.

Wet Sumping Explained

 
Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Jul 11, 2005 | 12:03 AM
  #1  
HDF Tech's Avatar
HDF Tech
Thread Starter
|
Banned
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 14,496
Likes: 156
From:
Default Wet Sumping Explained

WET SUMPING
One common problem that scares the hell of of people is wet sumping. This is basically when you have too much oil in the bottom of the crankcase and it either blows out the breather or the flywheels throws it up on to the piston skirts and the motor smokes like hell or both.

There are a couple of things that will cause this. Most of the time it is because of a check valve in the oil pump that is not seated This is very common in Harley Sportsters built before 1977 and softails fall into this group ocasionally, Triumph Twins, and early Norton Commandos are known for this also. Usually this happens after the bike sits for a couple months. On the Sportster it usually blows a big puddle of oil out of the breather tube attached to the bottom of the cam cover. Sometimes it will smoke, sometimes not, it just depends how much oil is in the bottom of the motor. Usually if the plugs don't foul, it will clear itself out just by running the motor awhile. If it happens repeatedly at shorter and shorter intervals it is probably time for a new oil pump or ap least a rebuild.


Source: http://raskcycle.com/techtip/webdoc8.html#WET%20SUMPING
 
 
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Bobbo
Primary/Transmission/Driveline/Clutch
1
Sep 19, 2011 01:30 PM
dmills
Shovelhead
9
Sep 16, 2010 06:28 PM
JABS AIRBRUSH
EVO
3
Jan 18, 2010 08:02 PM
TWAFXRP
Oil Archive (no new posts)
2
Mar 4, 2009 05:37 PM
Pinex
Shovelhead
2
Aug 4, 2006 10:43 PM




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 05:11 PM.

story-0
Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Becomes a Dark, Decepticon-Inspired Custom

Slideshow: Killer Custom's latest build relies on styling changes rather than performance upgrades, giving the cruiser an entirely different personality.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-06-03 18:28:05


VIEW MORE
story-1
6 Weirdest Harley-Davidsons Ever Sold to the Public

Slideshow: From military-inspired singles to scooters and three-wheel utility vehicles, these Harleys took the company far outside its comfort zone.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-06-02 18:34:10


VIEW MORE
story-2
7 Times Harley-Davidson Chucked Tradition Out the Window

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson built its reputation on nostalgia, but every so often, the company took a hard left turn into the future.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-20 11:18:19


VIEW MORE
story-3
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles

Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-29 16:50:35


VIEW MORE
story-4
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: Not every Harley gets it right, but these are the ones that genuinely earned their reputation.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-15 14:23:21


VIEW MORE
story-5
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-01 20:01:09


VIEW MORE
story-6
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In

Slideshow: Killer Custom's "Jail Breaker" build focuses more on stance and visual aggression than mechanical overhaul.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-18 19:20:32


VIEW MORE
story-7
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?

Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-07 16:15:30


VIEW MORE
story-8
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's new RMCR concept revives the café racer formula with modern hardware-and it may be exactly the reset the company needs.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-04 12:23:37


VIEW MORE
story-9
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II

Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-02-24 18:19:44


VIEW MORE